United Nations leader Antonio Guterres brought his global perspective to New Delhi Thursday, speaking at the prestigious India AI Impact Summit. His message was clear: Artificial intelligence harbors extraordinary potential to better humankind, provided it’s harnessed correctly.
Rather than viewing AI as a job-killer, Guterres positioned it as an enhancer of human skills. ‘Invest in people to let AI amplify what we do best,’ he urged, highlighting reskilling as key to future prosperity.
In his opening remarks at Bharat Mandapam, Guterres addressed AI’s ripple effects on society, economy, and ecology. True progress, he said, lies in tech that uplifts lives and heals the planet, with dignity embedded from the start.
AI’s resource hunger poses serious ecological risks. Guterres called for clean energy adoption in data infrastructures to avoid exploiting vulnerable populations amid rising consumption.
He demanded AI safety for all, shielding users from abuse and deception. On children’s vulnerability to digital harms, Guterres was unequivocal: no experimentation on the young with untested AI.
Global inclusion requires bold steps. Guterres reiterated calls for a $3 billion fund to democratize AI access via training, data sharing, cheap computing, and inclusive networks— a fraction of one tech behemoth’s (Microsoft’s $305B) earnings.
Despite dangers like inequality and bias amplification, ethical AI deployment can revolutionize human progress. Guterres’ words from Delhi echo as a call to collective responsibility.